How about a discussion on "True Devotion"?

[MariaChristi]

Dear All,

On another Forum, someone wrote that after reading the article, “The Wheat, the Rose and the Lily” (a link I had posted there as well as here on CA) he was inspired to re-read the classic little book by St. Louis De Montfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He began a thread today, for others to read and discuss the book with him, and I thought it might be good to begin a thread here as well. It is such a beautiful day to begin: Saturdays are “specially” dedicated to Mary, and it is the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. Mary is an icon of the Church, and so it is appropriate to begin reading this work by a saint so devoted to Jesus the Corner Stone of the Church and His Mother Who is the Model for all the “living stones” built upon Him.

If you would like to read and discuss the book, there is an online version HERE. I hope to hear from all those who would like to join in this reading and perhaps offer comments or questions in our discussions. May the Holy Spirit guide us into His Truth and a more intimate relationship with God, through Mary.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear All,

On another Forum, someone wrote that after reading the article, “The Wheat, the Rose and the Lily” (a link I had posted there as well as here on CA) he was inspired to re-read the classic little book by St. Louis De Montfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He began a thread today, for others to read and discuss the book with him, and I thought it might be good to begin a thread here as well. It is such a beautiful day to begin: Saturdays are “specially” dedicated to Mary, and it is the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. Mary is an icon of the Church, and so it is appropriate to begin reading this work by a saint so devoted to Jesus the Corner Stone of the Church and His Mother Who is the Model for all the “living stones” built upon Him.

If you would like to read and discuss the book, there is an online version HERE. I hope to hear from all those who would like to join in this reading and perhaps offer comments or questions in our discussions. May the Holy Spirit guide us into His Truth and a more intimate relationship with God, through Mary.

Dear All,

There were 150 “views” on this thread so I know some are at least interested, even though they may not be ready to post a reply. Please allow me to begin with one of the opening paragraphs from St. Louis’ Introduction. He wrote:

…6. I declare with the saints: Mary is the earthly paradise of Jesus Christ the new Adam, where he became man by the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to accomplish in her wonders beyond our understanding. She is the vast and divine world of God where unutterable marvels and beauties are to be found. She is the magnificence of the Almighty where he hid his only Son, as in his own bosom, and with him everything that is most excellent and precious. What great and hidden things the all-powerful God has done for this wonderful creature, as she herself had to confess in spite of her great humility, “The Almighty has done great things for me.” The world does not know these things because it is incapable and unworthy of knowing them.

When Jesus said from His Cross, “Behold your Mother”, I believe St. Louis took those words deeply into his heart and did as the beloved disciple John did. He took Mary into his life. The paragraph I posted above shows us how St. Louis meditated on the Gospel as well as the words of other saints, in order to “see” by faith the Mother Jesus gave to us all. I hope you will use the link to read more about True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and reply with a comment or question to keep our discussion going. Thanks.

 

[Nelka]

Do you want us to read an entire book before chatting?

:compcoff:

 

[SecretaryMonday]

Do you want us to read an entire book before chatting?

:compcoff:

I read an entire book once. Most difficult experience of my life.

Sorry. Thank you, MariaChristi, for beginning a thread on True Devotion; I read it last year and I do not think that I will read it this year, yet I would love to see the discussion that ensues.

 

[MariaChristi]

Do you want us to read an entire book before chatting?

:compcoff:

Dear Nelka,

True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is a very small book, but I would recommend you take each paragraph and ponder as you go. Last night I read only 1 or 2 paragraphs and this morning I read paragraphs 3 through 6 and decided to post simply paragraph 6.

Some others may read the online version and comment on particular paragraphs or some may prefer to read all the way through the Introduction, or a chapter, or the whole book. It is up to the readers. I’ve read the entire book several times and continue to be blessed by it. The paragraph I posted was one I thought we might discuss. For instance, these words in paragraph 6:

…Mary is the earthly paradise of Jesus Christ the new Adam, where he became man by the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to accomplish in her wonders beyond our understanding. She is the vast and divine world of God where unutterable marvels and beauties are to be found…

The thought of Mary as the “earthly paradise of Jesus Christ the new Adam” was beautiful to me. The Love of God in sending His Son, His Word, to become flesh in the womb of Mary is infinite mystery and wonder; yet we can begin to see in this sentence the need for the Immaculate Conception of Mary, that she be conceived without sin, in order to hold within her womb, the Holy, Incarnate God. Jesus is a “new Adam” and Mary a “new Eve” for us. The more we prayerfully ponder Mary, the more we obey Jesus’ words, “Behold Your Mother” as the disciple John, St. Louis de Montfort, and all the saints did, the more we are blessed.

 

[MariaChristi]

I read an entire book once. Most difficult experience of my life.

Sorry. Thank you, MariaChristi, for beginning a thread on True Devotion; I read it last year and I do not think that I will read it this year, yet I would love to see the discussion that ensues.

Dear SecretaryMonday,

Thanks for your reply. I wondered what the book was, and if you were obligated to read it. Reading is something that helps me, but I agree – some books can be a “Most difficult experience”!

I’m reminded of the experience of the Servant of God Frank Duff, (founder of the Legion of Mary, whose cause for Canonization has been introduced). He read True Devotion several times before he began to hear the Truth of it. He writes about his experience in an interesting article. See HERE. His final words in the article said it all for me:

So again I urge it. Read the book regularly in the spirit of complete acceptance. Dwell on its different parts. Capture its soaring ideas and receive them into yourself as by very faith. In this way will the real Mary show herself to you and be able to exert her full maternal sway over you. Thus will you make your passage through this life worthwhile, what it is supposed to be.

I’m glad you are interested in reading any discussion on the thread, please feel invited to chime in with comments and/or questions as we go along.

 

[SecretaryMonday]

I’m reminded of the experience of the Servant of God Frank Duff, (founder of the Legion of Mary, whose cause for Canonization has been introduced). He read True Devotion several times before he began to hear the Truth of it.

On Amazon.com, I found a print-on-demand copy of “The Knowledge of Mary,” the book which Servant of God Frank Duff said was most helpful in understanding the True Devotion. It is a dense and profound read.

 

[MariaChristi]

On Amazon.com, I found a print-on-demand copy of “The Knowledge of Mary,” the book which Servant of God Frank Duff said was most helpful in understanding the True Devotion. It is a dense and profound read.

Dear SecretaryMonday,

Thanks for the info. As Frank Duff says in his article:

…I am not here contending that the study of a book like de Concilio is now a necessary preliminary to the proper understanding of the True Devotion. I see very many persons around me take up the latter and read it with apparently a full appreciation. But this always puzzles me because not all of them have what I have been calling the foundation. Yet they eagerly received the illuminated picture which St. Louis-Marie projects of Mary and they gave it full play in their lives. I have to confess that I do not understand how this operates…

So Frank Duff found “The Knowledge of Mary” by de Concilio a very important book but admits that others may not need it. I found this description of what happened to him in reading True Devotion to be most interesting to me

…I was engaged on the final forced reading when a sort of phenomenon accomplished itself. Without any process of thought leading up to it, something which I would but regard as a Divine favor was granted to me. It was the sudden realization that the book was true. But why should this be? I did not understand things any more than I had previously. But there it was: a complete conviction that what I had been regarding as exaggerated and unreal was fully justified.

That moment has remained in my mind with an absolute clarity. I have only to think of it and it stands before me in its original startling complexion. In that moment I knew that the book was true…

Article, “Frank Duff reveals his thoughts on the True Devotion to Mary” can be read HERE
I believe God gives grace to those who ask, and seek, and knock on the door of His Heart. (cf Mt. 7:7-11)

 

[JaredR]

MariaChristi, I would love to read this with you. I read Secret of the Rosary with someone over the Internet a few years ago, and it was very fruitful. Did you have anything in mind for how you would like this thread to go?

 

[MariaChristi]

MariaChristi, I would love to read this with you. I read Secret of the Rosary with someone over the Internet a few years ago, and it was very fruitful. Did you have anything in mind for how you would like this thread to go?

Dear JaredR,

Thanks for your reply. This thread began simply with an invitation to read and discuss “True Devotion.” The online version HERE gives us the opportunity to use the same text. If you look at my responses to the first replies, you’ll see that I started reading The Introduction and found paragraph 6, one I especially wanted to ponder. Then, in response to someone who had already read the book, I gave a link to an interesting article entitled “Frank Duff reveals his thoughts on the True Devotion”

So I am willing to see this thread go from the beginning of “True Devotion” to its conclusion, with this encouragement from Frank Duff at the conclusion of his article:

… Mary’s vastness exceeds our capacity to exaggerate her. Our intelligence really cannot compass her. Necessarily God’s masterpiece evades our full understanding so that when luminous glimpses are afforded to us we find the light too much.

So again I urge it. Read the book regularly in the spirit of complete acceptance. Dwell on its different parts. Capture its soaring ideas and receive them into yourself as by very faith. In this way will the real Mary show herself to you and be able to exert her full maternal sway over you. Thus will you make your passage through this life worthwhile, what it is supposed to be.

I hope many will read and ponder “True Devotion” by St. Louis de Montfort, and “the real Mary will show herself” to all of us. Frank Duff’s cause for beatification has been introduced in Rome. Reading this little book was a turning point in his life.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear All,

What a joy, to re-read the marks of authentic devotion to our Lady:

1. First, true devotion to our Lady is interior, that is, it comes from within the mind and the heart and follows from the esteem in which we hold her, the high regard we have for her greatness, and the love we bear her.

1. Second, it is trustful, that is to say, it fills us with confidence in the Blessed Virgin, the confidence that a child has for its loving Mother. It prompts us to go to her in every need of body and soul with great simplicity, trust and affection. We implore our Mother’s help always, everywhere, and for everything. We pray to her to be enlightened in our doubts, to be put back on the right path when we go astray, to be protected when we are tempted, to be strengthened when we are weakening, to be lifted up when we fall into sin, to be encouraged when we are losing heart, to be rid of our scruples, to be consoled in the trials, crosses and disappointments of life. Finally, in all our afflictions of body and soul, we naturally turn to Mary for help, with never a fear of importuning her or displeasing our Lord.

1. Third, true devotion to our Lady is holy, that is, it leads us to avoid sin and to imitate the virtues of Mary. Her ten principal virtues are: deep humility, lively faith, blind obedience, unceasing prayer, constant self-denial, surpassing purity, ardent love, heroic patience, angelic kindness, and heavenly wisdom.

1. Fourth, true devotion to our Lady is constant. It strengthens us in our desire to do good and prevents us from giving up our devotional practices too easily. It gives us the courage to oppose the fashions and maxims of the world, the vexations and unruly inclinations of the flesh and the temptations of the devil. Thus a person truly devoted to our Blessed Lady is not changeable, fretful, scrupulous or timid. We do not say however that such a person never sins or that his sensible feelings of devotion never change. When he has fallen, he stretches out his hand to his Blessed Mother and rises again. If he loses all taste and feeling for devotion, he is not at all upset because a good and faithful servant of Mary is guided in his life by faith in Jesus and Mary, and not by feelings.

1. Fifth, true devotion to Mary is disinterested. It inspires us to seek God alone in his Blessed Mother and not ourselves. The true subject of Mary does not serve his illustrious Queen for selfish gain. He does not serve her for temporal or eternal well-being but simply and solely because she has the right to be served and God alone in her. He loves her not so much because she is good to him or because he expects something from her, but simply because she is lovable. That is why he loves and serves her just as faithfully in weariness and dryness of soul as in sweet and sensible fervour. He loves her as much on Calvary as at Cana. How pleasing and precious in the sight of God and his holy Mother must these servants of Mary be, who serve her without any self-seeking. How rare they are nowadays! It is to increase their number that I have taken up my pen to write down what I have been teaching with success both publicly and in private in my missions for many years.

1. I have already said many things about the Blessed Virgin and, as I am trying to fashion a true servant of Mary and a true disciple of Jesus, I have still a great deal to say, although through ignorance, inability, and lack of time, I shall leave infinitely more unsaid.

Ah, dear holy Father De Montfort, you have given us much more than our little hearts can comprehend, but like our Lady, may we ponder these wonderful marks of authentic devotion and examine ourselves in the light of God’s Grace.

 

[fred_conty]

1. Second, it is trustful, that is to say, it fills us with confidence in the Blessed Virgin, the confidence that a child has for its loving Mother. It prompts us to go to her in every need of body and soul with great simplicity, trust and affection. We implore our Mother’s help always, everywhere, and for everything. We pray to her to be enlightened in our doubts, to be put back on the right path when we go astray, to be protected when we are tempted, to be strengthened when we are weakening, to be lifted up when we fall into sin, to be encouraged when we are losing heart, to be rid of our scruples, to be consoled in the trials, crosses and disappointments of life. Finally, in all our afflictions of body and soul, we naturally turn to Mary for help, with never a fear of importuning her or displeasing our Lord.

This one, the second, is especially the key to all the rest — for me. Others may feel differently.

But if one has complete trust in her, then all the rest she will bring about, and I might add…whether you want it or not. She has a way…which may take a bit of time, but she won’t be denied once a person puts their trust in her and dosen’t withdraw it.

So as far as the third, fourth, and fifth paragraphs, I believe these eventually will come about once we put our absolute trust in her. That is the beginning of the end of mediocrity, or lazy attitude, or indifference to Christ. We gradually find spiritual things more appealing and other things less appealing. It’s like stripping layers of crust off our soul.

Some hesitate to do this for fear it would interfere with their other spiritual outlooks or choices. But it doesn’t. She merely reinforces all the good choices we make. If one choses the Benedictine, Franciscan, Dominican, spiritual life, or the third order of this or the second order of that, she just gears her help to doing that better and working thru that. If one has a special devotion to the Holy Spirit, she will give her help, insights and support in that way. She always helps in all ways that are good. So this devotion or act of consecration never interferes but strengthens whatever we have chosen.

But some would hesitate because they are not holy and into sin. And they have second thoughts about whether they would be able to give her complete trust because they aren’t ready to give up their sin(s). And this is exactly where and when they should start. Because they won’t be able to give up sin without help. Mary is and will be that help they need. She will see to it that they get a change in attitude and then begin to want to give up their sins. She has a way of obtaining the graces to change one inside so they want to change. And then the change happens. Now is the time to trust her absolutely for those graces. It isn’t painless but it is the most satisfying way to get true peace again.

It starts with trust to her as Jesus started his life by trusting her.
That is what the second paragraph meant to me.

 

[MariaChristi]

This one, the second, is especially the key to all the rest — for me. Others may feel differently.

But if one has complete trust in her, then all the rest she will bring about, and I might add…whether you want it or not. She has a way…which may take a bit of time, but she won’t be denied once a person puts their trust in her and dosen’t withdraw it.

So as far as the third, fourth, and fifth paragraphs, I believe these eventually will come about once we put our absolute trust in her. That is the beginning of the end of mediocrity, or lazy attitude, or indifference to Christ. We gradually find spiritual things more appealing and other things less appealing. It’s like stripping layers of crust off our soul.

Some hesitate to do this for fear it would interfere with their other spiritual outlooks or choices. But it doesn’t. She merely reinforces all the good choices we make. If one choses the Benedictine, Franciscan, Dominican, spiritual life, or the third order of this or the second order of that, she just gears her help to doing that better and working thru that. If one has a special devotion to the Holy Spirit, she will give her help, insights and support in that way. She always helps in all ways that are good. So this devotion or act of consecration never interferes but strengthens whatever we have chosen.

But some would hesitate because they are not holy and into sin. And they have second thoughts about whether they would be able to give her complete trust because they aren’t ready to give up their sin(s). And this is exactly where and when they should start. Because they won’t be able to give up sin without help. Mary is and will be that help they need. She will see to it that they get a change in attitude and then begin to want to give up their sins. She has a way of obtaining the graces to change one inside so they want to change. And then the change happens. Now is the time to trust her absolutely for those graces. It isn’t painless but it is the most satisfying way to get true peace again.

It starts with trust to her as Jesus started his life by trusting her.
That is what the second paragraph meant to me.

Dear Fred,

Thanks so much for your reply. As you said, “Others may feel differently” about how the marks of true devotion touch them. You certainly have been learning to trust Our Lady and to practice the other marks of true devotion as a consequence.

For me, they seemed to progress from one to the other, i.e. once we accept God’s Grace to become serious abut our interior life with Him, we open ourselves to trusting our Lady, in imitation of the Christ Child who trusted her completely. This trust enables us to pursue holiness and with Mary to grow in her virtues. Growing as she did in grace, we become more and more constant in our devotion until we are completely disinterested in ourselves and given completely to Jesus through Mary. We do not serve Our Lord and our Lady for any other reason than love.

Continuing with paragraphs 112 - 114 this afternoon, I continue to thank God. Hopefully others are continuing to learn more and more from this great Saint of Jesus and Mary. If anyone has yet to pick up this little book to read, there is an online version HERE. Why not start today? You won’t regret it.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Fred,

Thanks so much for your reply. As you said, “Others may feel differently” about how the marks of true devotion touch them. You certainly have been learning to trust Our Lady and to practice the other marks of true devotion as a consequence.

For me, they seemed to progress from one to the other, i.e. once we accept God’s Grace to become serious abut our interior life with Him, we open ourselves to trusting our Lady, in imitation of the Christ Child who trusted her completely. This trust enables us to pursue holiness and with Mary to grow in her virtues. Growing as she did in grace, we become more and more constant in our devotion until we are completely disinterested in ourselves and given completely to Jesus through Mary. We do not serve Our Lord and our Lady for any other reason than love.

Continuing with paragraphs 112 - 114 this afternoon, I continue to thank God. Hopefully others are continuing to learn more and more from this great Saint of Jesus and Mary. If anyone has yet to pick up this little book to read, there is an online version HERE. Why not start today? You won’t regret it.

Dear All,

I learned this morning of a new Commentary on “True Devotion”, written by one of the De Montfort Fathers, which may be published soon. See HERE

 

[SecretaryMonday]

Dear All,

I learned this morning of a new Commentary on “True Devotion”, written by one of the De Montfort Fathers, which may be published soon. See HERE

Very exciting! I heard it was being written and wondered when it would be coming out.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Hopefully, at whatever pace the Holy Spirit is leading us, we continue to learn from "True Devotion":

1. Rest assured that the more you turn to Mary in your prayers, meditations, actions and sufferings, seeing her if not perhaps clearly and distinctly, at least in a general and indistinct way, the more surely you will discover Jesus. For he is always greater, more powerful, more active, and more mysterious when acting through Mary than he is in any other creature in the universe, or even in heaven. Thus Mary, so divinely-favoured and so lost in God, is far from being an obstacle to good people who are striving for union with him. There has never been and there never will be a creature so ready to help us in achieving that union more effectively, for she will dispense to us all the graces to attain that end. As a saint once remarked, “Only Mary knows how to fill our minds with the thought of God.” Moreover, Mary will safeguard us against the deception and cunning of the evil one.

Blessings to all on this Feast of the Presentation, Feb. 2. As Mary and Joseph presented Jesus to our Father, may we too find ourselves (to quote a phrase from her words to St. Juan Diego), “in the crossing of her arms”.

PS Dear SecretaryMonday,

I’m not sure when the new commentary may be published, but as good as it may be, I do not think anything replaces reading the original text of True Devotion written by St. Louis de Montfort, himself. Just as commentaries on Scripture may help us to some extent, reading Scripture itself is so important.

 

[SecretaryMonday]

I’m not sure when the new commentary may be published, but as good as it may be, I do not think anything replaces reading the original text of True Devotion written by St. Louis de Montfort, himself. Just as commentaries on Scripture may help us to some extent, reading Scripture itself is so important.

 

[Lifesong]

For those who may not quite “get” St. Louis Marie De Montfort at first I highly recommend Father Michael Gaitley’s 33 Days to Morning Glory- it is a method of total consecration to Jesus through Mary that incorporates St. Louis Marie De Montfort and other saints and blessed devoted to Mary. It was through this book that I learned to really understand and appreciate St. Louis Marie De Montfort

Blessings,

Val

 

[MariaChristi]

For those who may not quite “get” St. Louis Marie De Montfort at first I highly recommend Father Michael Gaitley’s 33 Days to Morning Glory- it is a method of total consecration to Jesus through Mary that incorporates St. Louis Marie De Montfort and other saints and blessed devoted to Mary. It was through this book that I learned to really understand and appreciate St. Louis Marie De Montfort

Blessings,

Val

Dear Val,

Thanks for your reply. While I appreciate the fact that Fr. Gaitley tried to bring the writings of more recent saints like, St. Maximillian Kolbe, Bl. John Paul II and Bl. Mother Teresa to readers and thereby help them, I did not find his book as valuable to me as the original treatise on “True Devotion” by St. Louis de Montfort, and I would encourage anyone who has not read this little treatise more than once to read it prayerfully – slowly pondering the words of this great saint and champion of Mary.

Servant of God Frank Duff whose cause is in Rome for beatification/canonization, wrote that he had to read "True devotion 5 or 6 times before he “heard” the Truth of it. HERE is his account of his reading the treatise. Perhaps some do not “get” the message of the saint at first reading because as Frank Duff admitted, something was lacking in himself, rather than something lacking in the treatise.

I hope you and others will read Frank Duff’s article on his experience reading “True Devotion to Mary”. Looking at the number of “views” for this thread, there appears to be a great deal of interest, which is a blessing! I hope that many who have read our quotations from St. Louis de Montfort’s classic “True Devotion” are not only continuing to listen to God speaking through this saint, but growing in their own apprciation of God’s work in Mary, as well as the work He does in each of His children. Continuing to read words like the following from True Devotion, with God’s grace, how can we remain the same?

1. Where Mary is present, the evil one is absent. One of the unmistakable signs that a person is led by the Spirit of God is the devotion he has to Mary, and his habit of thinking and speaking of her. This is the opinion of a saint, who goes on to say that just as breathing is a proof that the body is not dead, so the habitual thought of Mary and loving converse with her is a proof that the soul is not spiritually dead in sin.

Let us continue to read, and re-read this little treatise when needed, remembering the words of Jesus: “Behold your Mother”. Let us learn from the Holy Spirit to “see” her by faith, to love her, and to share her with others.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear All,

I’m not sure how many persons who are reading this thread have already consecrated themselves to Jesus and Mary using the method St. Louis De Montfort urges in his “True Devotion”. If you have never participated in the 33 Days of preparation and prayed the “Act of Consecration” written by St. Louis De Montfort, you may want to consider beginning this 33 Day Preparation on Feb. 20 and ending with your Consecration ( or re-consecration if you have already done this) on Mar. 25, the Feast of the Annunciation. Here is another quote which can inspire us from the words of “True Devotion”:

173…By this devotion we entrust all we possess to Mary, the faithful Virgin. We choose her as the guardian of all our possessions in the natural and supernatural sphere. We trust her because she is faithful, we rely on her strength, we count on her mercy and charity to preserve and increase our virtues and merits in spite of the efforts of the devil, the world, and the flesh to rob us of them. We say to her as a good child would say to its mother or a faithful servant to the mistress of the house, “My dear Mother and Mistress, I realize that up to now I have received from God through your intercession more graces than I deserve. But bitter experience has taught me that I carry these riches in a very fragile vessel and that I am too weak and sinful to guard them by myself. Please accept in trust everything I possess, and in your faithfulness and power keep it for me. If you watch over me, I shall lose nothing. If you support me, I shall not fail. If you protect me, I shall be safe from my enemies.”

I would be happy to know that some of you will be joining me in this.